You At Your Best

SATURdAY, mAY 25, 2019 | JUnE - mEnTAl HEAlTH nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST | YOU AT YOUR BEST | 9 By KARen RiCe nWA DeMoCRAT-GAzeTTe Many people find it rewarding to start a family and raise children. Watching kids grow through the years and sharing in their experiences can bring life to a household. Mothers spend 18 years or more devoted to their children, and often their identities are defined as "Mom" above all else. As a result, it can be difficult to think ahead to life without kids in the home, especially when children are toddlers or school-aged. But children will someday grow up and move out, and the emotions that resonate when that day comes can be overwhelming. Many parents feel a sense of sadness and loss when their last child leaves the family home. Referred to as "empty nest syndrome," these feelings are not officially labeled as a clinical mental health issue, but they are very real for many people. While parents encourage their children to become independent and branch out in their own lives, not every parent can cope with an empty nest. The parenting and family resource Verywell Family states that mothers with empty nest syndrome experience a deep void in their lives that oftentimes makes them feel a little lost. Moms who are feeling the pangs of sadness due to an empty nest can employ some strategies to alleviate these feelings. • Keep friends close. Use this opportunity to spend more time with close friends and put yourself first. Schedule all of those activities you may have temporarily put on hold while caring for children through the years. • Make time for travel. New experiences can broaden anyone's horizons. Travel as a couple or with a group of friends. Put the focus on fun and then share the experiences later on with your adult children. • Redefine yourself. The experts at Psychology Today suggest finding new roles and interests to explore, or spend more time exploring existing hobbies. For example, if you've thought about doing community theater, do so now that you have some free time. Or maybe you've always had a goal of going back to school? Now may be the time to make that happen. • Reconnect with your partner. Recall the years before you had children when it was only the two of you and devote time to making more memories as a couple. Plan date nights, go to sporting events, attend a summer concert, or pursue other shared interests. • Change things up at home. Turn children's rooms into spaces you can use for your own interests. One can be a crafting room or a home office. Another may be a home theater. No longer labeling those rooms as the kids' spaces can help the transition. Empty nest syndrome is real, but there are many ways to move past the mixed emotions synonymous with this phenomenon. Coping with an empTy nesT By ADveRToRiAL sTAFF nWA DeMoCRAT-GAzeTTe The arrival of autumn and winter can herald a period of reduced feelings of vitality and happiness for some people. Known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, this condition produces a range of symptoms from depression to anxiety to oversleeping when the cooler temps usher in. However, many may be surprised to know that a similar phenomenon can occur during the time when people are supposed to be recharged and ready to take on the world. Data published in Psychology Today says that about one in 10 people suffer from something similar to SAD in the spring or summer. Dubbed reverse seasonal affective disorder or the "summer blues," this condition can lead to restlessness, poor appetite, irritability, and weight loss, among other symptoms. Some doctors think this form of depression can be a reaction to higher heat and humidity, noting that their patients have benefitted from traveling to a cooler locale when the condition sets in. John Sharp, a Harvard psychiatrist and author of "The Emotional Calendar," has studied the seasons and mental health in detail. He says that, for those who suffer from depression, the expectations of spending time outdoors or resuming social calendars with people now that the weather has warmed can be challenging. For others, a specific event that occurred in the spring or summer, such as a death or traumatic injury, can trigger feelings of depression and anxiety that counter the expectations of the season. A 2014 study conducted in Austria also found that seasonal variations in unemployment rates as well as the dearth of clinicians available due to summer vacation schedules can contribute to summertime sadness. Understanding that reverse SAD is a real thing and recognized by those in the mental health profession can be a comfort to sufferers who realize it is not just their imaginations. Individuals who notice a dramatic change in mood are encouraged to seek help. Talk therapy, medication or a combination of the two can be the right course of action. Spring & summer blues? Despite the sunshine and longer days, some people experience mood changes when spring and summer arrive. empty nest syndrome is real, but there are many ways to move past the mixed emotions synonymous with this phenomenon.

• Cover